Magazine catch and release.



G. HAMMOND. MAGAZINE CATCH AND RELEASE.

APPLICATION FILED IULYIS. I9I3.

Patented May 4, 1915.

All; I IUINIMII.

rIIIIIIlauIIIlIII UNITED STATES NPATEN'LI? oEEioE.

GRANT HAMMOND, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR 0F ONZE-THIRD` TO ALVA C. WASHBURNE, F PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, AND ONE-THIRD TO FREDERICK G.

CRANE, 0F DALTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MAGAZINE CATCH AND RELEASE.

of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Magazine Catch and Release, of which the following is a specilicatlon.

My invention relates to means for reta-1ning and releasing the magazine of a firearm, and an object of my inventlon, among others, is to provide a device of this class that shall be particularly eflicient 1n its op- 4eration and one in which the presence or absence of aA cartridge within the breech chamber may be readily ascertained.

One'form of device embodying my invention and in the construction and use of .which the objects' herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated 1n the accompanying drawings, in whichf- Figure l is a 'view 1n side elevatlon of a n portion of a pistol embodying my invention,

with parts broken away to show construction. Fig. 2 is a view in section through the handle on'plane denoted by dotted line 2--2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail side view of a portion of a pistol embodying my invention with parts broken away to show construction, the opposite side of the pistol from that shown in Fig. 1 being illustrated in lthis figure. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating the mechanism, the plane of section being denoted by the dotted line of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the means for manually releasing the magazine. Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating the means for releasing the breechbolt.

In' the accompanying drawings the numeral 10 indicates the handle of a pistol embodying my improvement, this handle having a trigger guard 11 within which a trigger 12 is located.- A receiver 13 is removably attached to the handle and' a barrel 15 is secured to the receiver.v Firing mechanism of any approved construction may be employed including a hammer 16, a sear 17, 4and other parts all of which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and for which reason further description is omitted herein, and specific illustra- -tion of the construction ofthe breech-bolt and its operating mechanism is not shown.

Specication of Letters Patent.

A magazine 18 is removably located within the handle, this magazine having the usual feeding spring 19 acting against a follower 20 upon which the cartridges 21 rest. A retaining notch 22 is formed in one side of the magazine 18 within which the retaining lug 23 of amagazine retainer -or holder'24 is located. This retainer in the construction herein shown, is in the form of aAcatch of rectangular shape in cross section at one end, having an opening 25 within which a plunger 26 is located, the plunger having a head 27 against which a spring 28 thrusts, this spring projecting within a recess in a button 29 forming a part of the retainer. This button 29 extends through the side of the handle to the outer surface thereof where it is accessible for manual operation. The head 27 rests against the surface of a wall of a recess in the back part of the handle as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. An actuating bolt 30 is mounted in a recess in the side part of the handle,

as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings,

this bolt extending through the opening 25 in the retainer 21 and having a cam surface 31 to act upon the retainer, the boltbeing seated upon a spring 32 tending to force the'bolt normally upward. A recess is formed in the side of the bolt for the reception ofan actuating lever 33 and the upper end of the bolt engages with a breechbolt holding pin 34, as shown herein, the end of the bolt being bent and engaging within a recess in the side of said pin. The pin 34 is located inan opening vin the receiver and is movedrby the actuating bolt into the path of the breech-bolt 35 to hold it at the rearr ward limit of its` play.

retain the detent in engagement with thel lever 33. This insures the retention of the magazine within the handle until the last Patented May 4, 1915.

Application led July 16, 1913. Serial No. 779,273.

- ready to be fired. The

from its cartridge has been iiredsoA that it maybe lmown that if the magazine is in place in the handle there are one or more cartridges bottom 41 of the magazine is removably held in place asby means of a spring pressed pin 42 having a shoulder at one end against which the spring 43 presses. The opposite end ofthe spring presses against the inner surface of a lia-nge 44 on the bottom. Each end of this holding pin is arranged to pass through opemngs 1n the iange 44 andin the wall of the magazine.

In the operation of the device, the trigger being pulled and the cartridge exploded, the breech bolt 35 is forced backwardly operating the mechanism in a manner we ll known to devices of this class. As the breech-bolt is forced backward, its front end passes behind the breech-bolt holding pin 34 but the holdin lever 33 being held by the shoulder 40 thls holding pin cannot move from its position. When the la'st cartridge, however, has been forced into its chamber in the breech, the detent 39 will rest against the follower 20 at a point near the end of the detent. When the pistol is now tired as the breech-bolt travels backward, the follower 20 is released and moves upward permitting the detent39 to spring inward, releasing the lever 33,thus permitting the actuating bolt 30 to move upwardly under the influence of its sprin 32. This action moves the breechbolt h ol ing pin 34 into the path of movement of the breech-bolt 35 retaining it` at the backward limit of its play. This movement of the actuating bolt 30 causes the cam surface 31 to actuate `theretainer 24, disengaging the lug 23 from the recess in the magazine and permitting the latter-'to drop chamber either under the influence of gravity or a spring, if the latter shall be used. Upon inserting a loaded magazine, as the latter is moved upward the shoulder 40 engages the actuating lever 33 lmoving it to its normal position and resetting the parts Vby releasing the catch 23 to allow it to engage with the notch 22 and by disengaging the pin 34 from the-breech-bolt. In case it shall be desired to permit the breech-bolt to move forward when the magazine chamber is empty, a breech-bolt releasing lever 45 is pivotally mounted on the outer surface of the side part 46 of the frame, this lever having .a lug 47 projecting through a slot 48 in said side part. This lug overlies a shoulder on the upper end of the actuatingbolt 30, which at this time is at the upper limit of its play, and by sliding the lever down-l ward, the actuating bolt is moved downward carrying with it Ithe breech-bolt holding pin '34 thus releasing the breech-bolt and allowing it to move forward.

While I have shown and described here-I in a preferred form of mechanism embodyinseam e spirit and yintent of a' 1. A firearm including a frame contain- V ing a magazine chamber and supporting mechanism including a magazine located in said chamber and having a movable follower, means for .moving said follower,

means for retaining the follower against movement after removal of the last cartridge from the magazine and -for perrrt" ting movement of said follower after the last cartridge has been fired, and a magazine holder connected with said follower to be operated thereby in its final movement.

2. A firearm including a frame containing a magazine chamber and supporting mechanism including a magazine located in said chamber and having a movable follower, means for moving said follower, a breech-bolt arranged to retain the follower against movement after removal of the last cartridge from the magazine and to permit movement of the follower immediately after the firing of the last cartridge, a magazine holder, andan operative connection between said holder and said follower to be operated by the latter in its final movement.

' 3. A'rearin including a frame containing a magazincvchamber, a breech bolt movably mounted therein, means for operating the breech Ybolt, a magazine located in said chambera magazine holder, means for releasingsaid holder, a follower in the magazine movable into the path of the breech bolt and connected to operate the releasing means when/lin said path, said follower being arranged vto rest against the breech bolt in one position of said bolt, and means for moving the follower. K v

4. A' firearm including a frame having a chamber for `a magazine, a magazine removably located in said chamber, a catch to re'- tain the magazine in place, catch actuating means, amember borne engagement with a movable part thereof, and connections between said member and by the magazine in catch actuating means to release the latter n in the movement ofsaid part.

5. A firearm including a frame having a magazine chamber, a magazine located ther in, a catch to retain the magazine in place catch actuating means, a member borne by thel magazine in the path-of the movable. follower thereof and arranged to bev released in the upwardfmovelnent 'of said follower, and connections between said member and -catch actuating means to release the latter.

6. A firearm including a frame having a magazine chamber, a magazine located in said chamber, a catch to retain the ma azine in place, catch actuating means inclu 'ng a lever, and a detent movably mounted on the magazine and engaging said lever to retain itin place, said detent engaging the movable follower of the magazine and arranged to be released on the removal of the last cartridge from the magazine. A

7. A firearm including a frame having a magazine chamber, a magazine located in said chamber, magazine releasing mechanism, a breech-.bolt located in a breech-bolt chamber in the frame, a member connected with said releasing mechanism for operation to engage with said breech-bolt to -hold it in its backward position, and means connected with saidmechanism to actuate it, said means being operatedby iring of the last cartridge formerly located in the magazine.

8. A firearm including a frame having a. Amagazlne chamber, a magazine located 1n said chamber, a breech-bolt to insert a cartridge from the magazine into the barrel, means for holding said bolt in its backward position, a magazine catch connected with said holding means to be automatically actuated thereby, and means connected with the magazine for releasing the breeclrbolt holding means in the movement of the magazine to place it in its chamber.

9. A firearm including a frame having'a chamber for a magazine, a magazine removably located in said chamber, a breech bolt to remove cartridgesfrom said magazine, a member to hold the breech bolt against movement, means for holding the' magazine in place, a lever operatively connected with a movable part of the magazine, and operative connections between said lever andthe breech holding member, and between Said lever and the magazine holding means.

l0. A firearm including a frame having a V chamber for a magazine, a magazme'removably located in said rchamber, means for holding the magazine in place, a breech bolt located in the frame, a member located to hold the breech bolt against movement, an operative connection between said member and themagazine holding means, and a lever 1 C'opies of this patent may be obtained for connected with the breech bolt holding mem- .ber and with a part in engagement with a movable part of the magazine.

l1. A firearm including a frame having a v chamber for a magazine, a magazine removably iocated in said chamber, means for holding the magazine in place, mechanism for releasing said holding means, said mechanism being connected for operation by a movable part of the magazine, and means bolt holding member, a lever connected with 1 a movable part of the magazine, connections between said lever and breech bolt holding member and between said lever and magazine holding member, means for manually operating the magazine holding member, and means for manually operating the breech bolt holding member.

13. A firearm including a frame having a chamber for a magazine, a magazine removably located in said chamber, means vfor holding the magazine in place, a breechbolt located in the frame, a member located to hold the breech-bolt against movement, an operative connection between said member and the magazine holding means, 4and an actuating member connected with said holding member and magazine holding means and located in the path of movement of the magazine.

14. Av irearm including a frame containing' a magazine chamber, a magazine located in said chamber and having a movable follower, means for holding said follower against movement upon the removal of the last cartridge from the magazine and for releasing said follower for movement after the last cartridge has been fired, means for locking the holding means in its releasing position after the last cartridge has been fired, and a magazine holder connected with said follower to be operated thereby in its final movement.

' GRANT HAMMOND.

lVitnesses:

ARTHUR B. JENKINS, E. F. EATON.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 13.6. 

